Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Abwehr” come from?

Abwehr (German) comes from German abwehren, from German wehren, from Middle High German wëren, from Old High German werien, from Proto-West Germanic waʀjan, from Proto-Germanic warjaną, from Proto-Indo-European wēr-, from Proto-Indo-European wer- — to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel.

Abwehr (German): defence: action to stop an attack; a method or...

Definitions

  1. defence: action to stop an attack; a method or...

Ancestry of “Abwehr”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanabwehrento fend off; to refuse, to say no
2Germanwehrento fight; to defend
3Middle High Germanwëren—
4Old High Germanweriento defend, protect
5Proto-West Germanicwaʀjanto clothe
6Proto-Germanicwarjanąto ward off, to defend against; to thwart, to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanwēr-true
8Proto-Indo-Europeanwer-to burn; to cover, heed, notice; squirrel

Words derived from “Abwehr”

  • flak
  • абвер
  • Fliegerabwehrkanone
  • Abwehrmechanismus
  • Abwehrstoff
  • Panzerabwehrkanone
  • Abwehrspieler
  • FlaK
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wer- →